US reactivates Atlantic 2nd Fleet

WASHINGTON - A top US Navy admiral has announced the re-establishment of the US Second Fleet - a Cold War command disbanded in 2011 - to patrol the North Atlantic.

Admiral John Richardson, the chief of US Naval Operations, made the announcement during a change-of-command ceremony on Friday at the Atlantic naval port of Norfolk, Virginia.

"Our national defense strategy makes clear that we're back in an era of great power competition as the security environment continues to grow more challenging and complex," said Richardson.

"That's why today, we're standing up Second Fleet to address these changes, particularly in the North Atlantic."

The Second Fleet command was disbanded as a cost-saving measure in 2011, and its assets and personnel were dispersed within the navy.

The new command will be responsible for US naval forces along the US eastern coast as well as the North Atlantic region, a navy statement said.

Before it was disbanded the Second Fleet played a key role during the Cold War, with operations in the North Atlantic and supporting US naval forces in the Mediterranean.

Russian planes and ships have in recent months made multiple sailings in the North Atlantic close to the airspace and territorial waters of US' NATO allies, including the United Kingdom.

NATO naval officials in late 2017 also reported Russian submarines probing undersea data cables in the North Atlantic.

The Second Fleet command currently exists only on paper, but according to USNI News, a publication of the US Naval Institute, the command will open for business on July 1 with 11 officers and four enlisted personnel.

'Growing threats'

The command will eventually grow to 256 personnel - 85 officers, 164 enlisted and seven civilians - USNI reported, citing a memo signed earlier in the week by US Navy Secretary Richard Spencer.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in January that the United States is facing "growing threats", and warned that the US military's advantages have eroded in recent years.

"Our military is still strong, yet our competitive edge has eroded in every domain of warfare," he said as he unveiled the Pentagon's national defense strategy.

Agence France-presse

(China Daily 05/07/2018 page11)